Today is deadline day for filing online returns for the tax year ended 2010.
HMRC, according to the Telegraph, expect approximately 900,000 people to miss the deadline and incur a fine.
Tax does have to be taxing.
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Sorry - but if you are one of those 900,000 then tough shit. You've known for long enough that the deadline is today and there's no excuse for being late.
ReplyDeleteYou have every right to moan afterwards when HMRC bollocks it all up but not before.
In fact, try to get odds from your bookie that HMRC will screw up somewhere and lay some money to offset any fine. (odds will be equal almost to whether a bear takes a dump in a soon-to-privatised wood...)
I have to agree with the above. HMRC has many faults and problems but submitting your return late is not a fault of theirs.
ReplyDeleteI have had to submit a return for the last 7 years and it has been due on the same day for all of those years.
I actually find dealing with it in May helps.
Yes, I have no idea why more people don't do them in May & get it out of the way. It's crazy to leave it to the last day. If filing on line, the very latest people should attempt it is about 20th October. Then if there are problems (on either side)they still have time to send a paper one in.
ReplyDeleteYou tax people really love your processes, procedures, rules and regulations don't you... you bunch of saddos!!! Do you all wear farking jackboots too... Achtung?!!
ReplyDelete@1 February 2011 00:22
ReplyDeleteIt's not the fault of HMRC that people leave filing the return until 31/01, which if they encounter problems it's the fault of the individual, the last day does not allow time to deal with the possibility of things not going to plan. Do it earlier and there's no problems. I bet HMRC have been flooded with low value calls from people that have left until last minute, and aint going to get their PINs/User IDs in time, and it's not their fault some people are incompitent.
You people must be new here. Everything is the fault of HMRC staff. No accountant,business or member of the public has ever been at fault. If they have left everything until the last day its HMRC's fault for having a deadline.
ReplyDeleteWhat on Earth is a "Low Value Call?" Sounds like official speak to me; don't you value all calls?
ReplyDeleteI suspect many people leave their SA returns to the last minute for one very simple reason; If you submit your form very early, it may be only one of a very few the HMRC employee will have on his desk at that time, it follows therefore, he may well dedicate a lot of time to checking it and going over it with a fine tooth comb however, if you leave it to the last minute, your form will be one of thousands and it follows therefore, it will not be subjected to such a close examination.....That I suspect is the reason many leave it to the last minute.
Low Value Call - Calls that have really have no reason to be made. For example person receives a letter stating they are due a repayment and then calls to ask if they are due a repayment.../facepalm.
ReplyDeleteThat is an astoundingly stupid reason to delay filing a tax return. Even if they are reviewed if the return isn't wrong what's going to happen...? What amazes me is the people you refer to would file late and if there was a mistake that caused problems batter HMRC if they didn't immediately correct it. To be honest there are only 2 things that are compared with system figures, state pension and coded underpayments (both automatically by the system), the only manually reviewed figure is CIS deductions.
HMRC ate my hamster.
Anon;
ReplyDeletePlease don't shoot the messenger; I merely offered an explanation as to why some people may file their papers at the last minute.
There is a perception amongst the population that HMRC are their enemy and that one should not get to involved with them as it normally ends in tears and great expense.
Many of the problems that HMRC suffer is due to a cavalier attitude to the people they are supposed to be serving; yes serving, HMRC are supposed to be a service for the general population but all too often, it appears to many of us that HMRC see their role as managing and punishing the population and that attitude is often shown on here by those that claim to work for HMRC.
I also feel that HMRC fails to try to reverse the aforementioned perception by not looking at their PR machine.
I apologise for this low value communication.
BTW, I do not submit SA returns myself but, several of my friends have voiced what I stated in my earlier post as the reasons they choose to leave it until later to submit their returns. I don't actually think that any one of them could be described as stupid as you infer.
Have a nice day.
I inferred that these people were stupid? I think not:
ReplyDelete'That is an astoundingly stupid REASON to delay filing a tax return'
The most intelligent of people can do stupid things without detriment to their character. It seems stupid to myself as I would prefer to have it reviewed sooner to allow for any mistakes to be highlighted, either in or against my favour.
Politicians are known for spinning their words and a fair few posters on here evidently prefer to twist the words of others.
Tonk - You should explain to your friends that is not how HMRC works.
ReplyDeleteHMRC is now split in "streams". So the people processing Returns or investigating SA customers will be doing that and only that. People dealing with post will be doing that work and nothing else. There will never be a point where "it may be only one of a very few the HMRC employee will have on his desk at that time". Expecting people to switch between a letter, a phone call or a tax Return went out of the window with lean/pacesetter.
If they file a paper return someone of a very low grade types the information onto the SA system. These people have the same tight deadlines whether the Return is received as early as possible or two years late. If it is filed online they only look at it if there is a problem (like you missed the underpayment in your tax code) and they correct it. No investigation, no phone call to check what you meant etc.
At some later stage someone of a slightly higher grade in compliance will be given some SA records to check. Those records will be selected for them based on the contents of the Return. For example they may have been told to look at particular, types of income, losses or cases selected at random.
Waiting until 31 January and then sending in a paper Return will only ever make you stand out more.
It never ocurrs to anyone that one cannot always complete ones tax return because the information requested on the Tax Return includes a query that requires clarification from HMRC which requires a response from HMRC and despite telephone helplines and MASSES of information on the web site (that is no use to anyone but the professionals) the chances of getting a response out of HMRC is at best dubious. HMRC staff don't know the answer. Technician in Cardiff. HMRC creates the delay. I have at least twelve letters awaiting reply from HMRC that go back twelve months..simply ignored and I simply can not get anything in writing out of HMRC. Sorry, I le, so far a £50 apology!
ReplyDelete